Pages

Friday, December 2, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Ornaments - Day 2: Chalkboard Bulbs

Today's ornament...chalkboard bulbs! I think these would make fantastic holiday gifts for teachers. Have the kids write or draw on them, and wrap the finished bulbs with a piece of chalk. (With 3 inch bulbs, you can pop the top off to store the chalk inside!)

You'll need:

Clear plastic bulbs

Chalkboard paint

Chalk

1. Paint the bulbs, letting them dry at least an hour between coats - check your paint container for more precise directions. (I used three coats on clear bulbs with no primer.)

2. Once the paint is dry it needs to be conditioned. Gently cover each bulb with a thin layer of chalk (I used sidewalk chalk for this step because it's slightly softer and goes on faster), then wipe clean with a moist cloth.

3. Decorate and enjoy!

There are many different types of chalkboard paint available. Rustoleum sells both brush on and spray options (available at Home Depot and other home improvement stores). I picked up my supplies at Michael's, so I bought a small bottle of the Martha Stewart Crafts chalkboard paint. I considered making my own, but when I checked our garage, the only grout I could find was sanded, and I really did not want to make a special trip out to Home Depot for unsanded grout.

The only drawback to buying the smaller bottle (besides price) was that I had to brush it on, and the brush marks do show. I'd imagine dipping the bulbs or using spray paint would give you a smoother texture, but I didn't have enough paint for dipping, and although I saw spray paint at Michael's, I am sorely lacking in spray painting skills. (Perhaps God withheld that talent to keep me from becoming a graffiti artist...)